Description
Unlike Motown and Stax, Philly Soul was not represented by a single record label. It was, however, defined by a small group of men with a surplus of talent and an entrepreneurial spirit. By 1971, Motown had already peaked. Stax, though flush with the success of Isaac Hayes and Shaft, was just a few years from bankruptcy. When they founded Philadelphia International Records that year, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff were already seasoned songwriters/arrangers/producers with hits to their names. However, along with freelance cohort Thom Bell, the music they created with their various groups and vocalists was some of the most influential, not to mention well-realized, of the modern era. Want evidence? For starters, the work of Gamble, Huff, and Bell has been covered or sampled by everyone. If universality is a sign of great pop, Philadelphia International produced some of the best. Ever.
